This invention relates in general to support structures suitably arranged to support or suspend other articles. More particularly, this invention relates to frame-like structures arranged so as to support hanging file folders in an upright, accessible orientation.
While almost everyone is aware of paper folders for storing papers and documents, these types of folders are primarily best suited for flat stacking and carrying. However, when folders are needed in order to organize material in a vertical file cabinet, such paper folders are not necessarily well suited for this purpose. This is because there is a tendency of such folders to sag and slide within the drawer when they are not tightly packed together, and thus, the folders are not always upright nor are the legends of such folders always visible.
This situation has been recognized by the file folder industry and at least one solution has been provided. This one solution is to use hanging file folders which have support hooks on the four corners and are thus able to be supported by rails or bars within the file drawer. This type of file folder is freely suspended up off the bottom of the drawer and maintains a virtually identical upright height with all other file folders in the drawer. These hanging file folders are able to slide from the front to rear of the file drawer across the supporting rails or bars and there is no need to tightly pack the files together in order to keep them in an upright orientation. There is, however, one drawback with this type of file folder as well as with conventional file folders, and that is how to maintain them in a convenient and accessible manner once they are pulled from the file or desk drawer where they are being stored. The most common technique is to lay the files flat on the work surface and shuffle through them as the user reviews information in one file and then another. While this technique is workable, it is somewhat messy and awkward and definitely not efficient. The files slide with respect to each other and if the work surface must be cleared, such as for a conference with another person, the files have to be temporarily disposed of and this usually means refiling them in the drawer.
It would be an improvement to this overall situation of file folder manipulation if a free-standing support rack could be provided which would support, in an upright, accessible orientation, several hanging-type file folders. Such a rack could be used either as an insert to a desk drawer or on top of the work surface and files pulled from a drawer could be loaded into the rack. The upright and suspended orientation would allow quick flipping from file to file without the aforementioned awkwardness and inefficiency. A further improvement would be to construct such a rack so as to be capable of supporting legal-size file folders as well as regular-size file folders and to make the rack collapsible for easy packaging and storage. The subject invention disclosed herein provides such improvements by way of a rack which is constructed to also provide other advantages as will be apparent.
While prior art is not known to exist which anticipates this invention, certain patent references may be deemed to have a certain degree of relevancy, at least to the extent that they provide an indication of other concepts which have been employed for supporting and retaining structures. These patents are listed below.
______________________________________ Pat. No. Patentee Issue Date ______________________________________ 146,087 Miller 12/30/73 318,336 Weidner 5/19/85 4,049,127 Alexander 9/20/77 3,630,387 Wehner 12/28/71 3,848,748 Ceccarelli 11/19/74 3,788,718 Bjorn et al. 1/29/74 3,860,119 Irvine et al. 1/14/75 3,999,663 Walter et al. 12/28/76 ______________________________________
Miller discloses a clothes frame wherein two pivotal X-shaped end members are connected together by a number of round bars.
Weidner discloses a display rack for brooms and similar implements which includes a pair of collapsible X-shaped wooden members with a number of holes therein for receiving the handle portions of such brooms or similar implements.
Alexander discloses a hanging file support frame which includes a pair of file folder support rails and a pair of transverse members. Four corner fittings are supported in an elevated position and each has a substantially vertical slot for receiving one end of a rail and a substantially horizontal slot for receiving one end of a transverse member.
Wehner discloses a collaspible file support structure for the vertical filing of file wrappers or similar objects wherein the collapsible file support structure has a pair of longitudinally spaced end frame members each of which has a pair of upright members and rigid bracing members extending therebetween.
Ceccarelli discloses a support member of bent stiff wire for suspending files or the like and is designed to be removably insertable into a furniture drawer.
Bjorn et al. discloses a frame for hanging folders in filing cabinet drawers which includes a pair of spaced plastic end panels adapted to be positioned within the front and rear of the drawer and a pair of plastic side rails each having a series of spaced holes therein for receiving the rods of hanging folders.
Irvine et al. discloses a combination of separate components fabricated for shipment in knock-down form which may be readily assembled to provide a simple, secure support frame for hanging file folders. The four corners of the structure comprise junctures of the longitudinal side bars, cross bars and leg supports for the structure.
Walter et al. discloses a frame for hanging file folders which is adjustable both longitudinally and laterally and includes longitudinal rails for suspending the folders in an upright position.
As will be apparent from the disclosure which follows, none of these listed patents provide a lightweight, upright, free-standing rack for supporting hanging file folders wherein one orientation of the rack is suitable to support legal-size file folders while an inverted orientation of the same rack supports regular-size file folders.